Chapter 9 : Lady Luck sometimes jokes around too much

A cold sensation came over him.
It was originally a small item used to obscure other people’s vision… but it could also be used in another way.

For instance, changing a person’s hair color.

He quickly sprinkled it over Sheryl’s head, then with an extraordinary intensity, he captured her lips.

The young lady in his arms widened her eyes, filled with an incredulous shock.

Her cheeks flushed crimson.

“!!!!”

“Hold onto me, don’t move.”

Sheryl’s body, struggling with all her might, abruptly stiffened at this command, as if frozen by a spell, not moving a muscle.

Schiller just savored that sweet, slightly moist breath.

…

To be honest, Schiller was a bit lost in this sweet ritual, even ignoring the fact that there were pursuers.

However, it wasn’t Schiller who was taking the initiative from halfway through.

“Mmm~”

And the girl, perhaps due to difficulty breathing, instead actively parted Schiller’s lips to get air.

‘Did she forget she could breathe through her nose?’

The girl awkwardly pried open Schiller’s mouth, greedily drawing in air.

That clumsy yet desperate exploration, with a force hinting at despair, made Schiller’s lower back tingle.

The sound of the door being pulled open.

“Tch, brats rutting in broad daylight!!” The man casually glanced inside, grunted in disdain, and quickly walked away.

After a long while, Schiller released Sheryl’s lips, but she still maintained her embracing posture, refusing to let go.

Looking closely, she was constantly trembling.

“…Are…are you okay? Did they go far?” She buried her head in Schiller’s chest, refusing to look up.

“Young lady, it’s alright now.”

“Hmph! Wh-what did I just do…” Sheryl finally released him, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish blowing bubbles, filled with shame and fury.

“Pervert, you—” Sheryl raised her fist to strike Schiller, but that delicate hammer ultimately couldn’t bring itself down.

She had already experienced the terror of one-sided violence.

“I’ll forgive you this time… Ugh, and it was my first time.” The strained string finally snapped. She covered her face, suppressed sobs escaping through her fingers:

“Waaah… Mama…” Her voice was soft, but it reached Schiller’s ears.

Schiller scratched his head awkwardly, trying his best not to notice Sheryl. All the grievances Sheryl suffered ultimately came from him; at this point, he couldn’t confess.

‘I can’t let her know…’

‘Let this secret die with me.’

‘Hopefully, Sheryl will never learn the truth…’ He clasped his hands together, constantly praying to an unknown god.

If it were exposed, he would probably be sunk into Tokyo Bay (literally)…

Truly terrifying.

After the carriage set off, the coachman told them it would be about a night’s journey.

Sheryl, after they departed, remained tense. Any slight movement would send her shrinking towards Schiller, her eyes wide with fear fixed on the door, only to return to her original seat moments later—repeating this behavior for who knows how long.

As night fell, she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep on Schiller’s lap, a transparent tear still clinging to the corner of her eye.

Schiller wiped the tear from her eye, sighing inwardly.

‘What a good girl… Guilt filled his entire body.’

He made up his mind: once he safely returned Sheryl to her manor, he would give up on wooing her.

Let Sheryl and the protagonist be happy; she deserved to have her own life.

Even if he might not see the Yuri flowers bloom himself.

That was still better than ruining a girl.

“This is how it has to be…” Although he was very unwilling, there was nothing he could do.

Throughout the night, they passed many travelers, but none intended to stop Schiller’s carriage.

Several times, Sheryl woke up screaming, and only after seeing Schiller did her complexion improve.

They had traveled a long distance; perhaps the kidnappers had given up.

Just as he naively thought it was over, the carriage was suddenly overturned by a violent explosion, and a blast of hot air swept across Schiller’s face.

“Tsk!… Young lady!”
Sheryl clutched his sleeve tightly, whimpering and unable to utter a word.

Schiller kicked open the burning door, then surveyed his surroundings and quickly ducked into a nearby grove of trees.

The city walls were just ahead. To think this would happen now!

No, they probably chose this exact time… A carriage traveling all night without rest was uncommon.

“Damn it!” Schiller cursed inwardly,

Three men walked towards the burning carriage.

“He-help me!” The coachman was pinned under the horse, pleading for help from the three men.

The man in the middle merely glanced at him, then thrust a sword into his chest.

‘He’s probably beyond saving.’

“!!” Sheryl witnessed that instant. She covered her mouth, trying her best not to let any sound escape.

Facing this scene, Schiller couldn’t help but feel his legs tremble.

In his previous life, he lived in a peaceful country; he had no opportunity to face a killing scene directly.

He tried his best to suppress the urge to vomit building in his chest.

‘Being nothing more than a weak pervert like Schiller, there’s no way I can defeat three people, and we’re in the wilderness here, nowhere to hide… Is this the end of the road?’

‘If it’s Sheryl… at least I have to let her escape.’

“Hey! How long are you going to hide? Playing hide-and-seek?” They began to move in the direction of the two.

He couldn’t wait any longer.

Schiller lowered his head and whispered softly into Sheryl’s ear,

“Young lady, it’s come to this; there’s no other way.”

“No, way.” She repeated Schiller’s words mechanically, then, as if something occurred to her, she hugged Schiller tightly.

“No, don’t leave me! I, I haven’t been able to repay you…” Her voice was tearful, as if she was pleading with Schiller.

Schiller shook his head. “You said you would listen to me.”

Upon hearing these words, Sheryl bit her lip tightly but couldn’t say anything.

But even so, she still didn’t blame Schiller.

As if accepting her fate, she put away the cowardice in her eyes.

“No, thank you.” She hugged Schiller even tighter. “You’ve tried your best to save me. It’s my turn to repay you. Promise me you’ll live, and avenge me!”

After saying that, she prepared to walk out.

Schiller quickly pulled Sheryl back.

“Who said I was sending you to your death?!” Schiller firmly patted Sheryl’s head. She winced and covered her head in pain.

“Ugh…”

“I’ll rush out and buy time, and you run in the opposite direction…”

“You want me to abandon you?!” Sheryl’s expression became stern, and she looked at him with icy eyes. That long-lost, formidable aura of a noble young lady instantly returned.

“How could I…” Schiller covered Sheryl’s mouth.

Ah, this look. It’s been a while.

“You should be very clear about the situation,” he said in an unrefutable tone, “This is my last ‘order’ to you, young lady.”

She hesitated, looking slightly uncertain.

“Remember, you are Sheryl, never some helpless girl to be toyed with.”

Without waiting for her reaction, Schiller rushed out.

He found an opening in the men and tackled one to the ground, mercilessly raining punches on his head.

However, his strength was limited after all.

“You scumbags, come on!” Schiller’s chest was roaring.

“This brat!!” Although the man wasn’t seriously hurt, it ignited his sadistic desires.

Immediately after, Schiller was kicked to the ground. He curled his body, trying to absorb as much damage as possible.

‘I hope Sheryl can run far enough…’ This thought became his only support at that moment.

“You little brat, weren’t you arrogant just now!”

Seeing Schiller as no threat, the men laughed and began to punch and kick him. The man who had been hit, still not satisfied, even plunged his sword straight into Schiller’s thigh.

“!!! Ugh!!” A piercing pain shot up from below. Schiller clenched his teeth, trying his best not to let any sound escape.

‘I put Sheryl through so much suffering; let this be my karma.’

But even though he was being ganged up on by three people, why did his body feel so cold?

‘Is this what it feels like to be on the verge of death? Kissing such a beautiful girl before dying… maybe… it’s not too bad a deal?’ ‘Next life… if I could become a beautiful girl, that would be great…’

‘I hope to be transmigrated and reborn as a beautiful girl in my next life,’ he thought.